


Nightmare

by elizabeth_rice



Series: SBIGTTS Project [2]
Category: Jigoku Shoujo | Hell Girl
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon - Anime Dub, Challenge Response, Horror, Post-Canon, Psychological Horror, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:38:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2489669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabeth_rice/pseuds/elizabeth_rice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shibatas thought they had escaped Ai Enma, the girl from hell. But she isn't as gone as Tsugumi and her dad believed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> I've only seen season 1 and 2 of the anime series. This is a post-canon fic about Shibata Tsugumi and her dad, Shibata Hajime. Tsugumi is about 14-15 years old here. This is my first attempt at writing a serious horror story, I'm not sure how successful it is. One of the main themes of this series is bullying and harassment so I've kept that theme in my fic as well. But I hope my fic isn't too preachy. Oh, this also fills my prompt "urban legends" from the public card of the [Horror Bingo](http://allbingo.dreamwidth.org/33473.html?style=mine) (which I'm hosting).

Tsugumi woke up with a yell in the dark. She panted unseeing but slowly let her senses take in the details of her bedroom. She breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of her bedroom, her home. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she swung her gaze from the closet opposite her bed to her desk under the window to the bookcase in the far corner. She exhaled and uncurled her fingers where they were clenched around the bedsheet. It was just a dream, she was in her bed and she was okay.

She heard her dad knocking on her door and got out of bed to open it. She peeked around the door.

"Hey, you okay?" her dad asked.

She nodded, "Just a nightmare. Sorry for waking you up." She tried to smile but her body didn't seem to want to cooperate.

He shook his head, dismissing her apology. He watched her for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to get you anything? Tea? Milk, water..."

Tsugumi shook her head, "Thanks but I've got a glass of water on my bedside table. I'm okay, dad."

He smiled and put his hand on her head. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't. She felt the familiar uneasy mixture of relief and guilt settle in her chest as he let his hand fall.

"If you need anything, wake me up. Okay?" her dad said.

"I will, dad. Thanks." She watched him return to his bedroom. Once he was inside, she shut the door.

*

Tsugumi was sitting at the breakfast table dressed in her school uniform reading the paper. Her dad was scrambling eggs at the stove.

"Tsugumi, get the juice and toast will you?"

"Uh-huh, in a minute dad," Tsugumi said absently as she read an article about a new anti-bullying programme that will start in some schools in the city. Tsugumi thought it sounded promising and hoped it'd work.

"Tsugumi, please. Juice. Toast," Her dad served up the eggs on two plates and carried them to the table. "I don't want to be late."

"Then you get it," she muttered but put the paper down and retrieved the items. She coolly ignored the look he gave her as she dug into her breakfast.

"Interesting article?" he asked, his tone just as cool.

She nodded and didn't look up as she said, "The anti-bullying initiative." She peeked at her dad then because she knew what effect that would have on him.

He looked stricken but visibly rallied, "Well, I'm glad they are finally doing something about it. They should probably start it in the offices too. But I guess if the catch them young there won't be any bullying in the workplace."

"I guess."

They were quiet for a bit. Her dad asked, "Are you okay?"

She sighed and smiled up at him, "Dad, it's okay. Better late than never, right?"

He smiled wearily, "Yeah."

After they were done, her dad watched from the table as she put away their dirty dishes in the sink. She heard him sigh and the crinkle of the paper as he picked it up.

"Wait, I'm not done with it!"

"Tsugumi."

"I just want to see--"

"Tsugumi, you have to stop."

She shut her mouth feeling glum. She turned off the tap and turned around but didn't look up at her dad.

"You promised me you'd stop."

"I know," She sat back down on her chair. "I just need to see for myself."

After a pause, he said, "You can't live like this, looking over your shoulder all the time. I took care of it. I debunked it as nothing more than an urban legend. Do you remember people wrote to our paper and said they never really believed in it anyway? People forget and they move on. You can trust that."

"But what if someone was really desperate and called her?"

"They would have to know how to summon her in the first place. And I don't believe that those who have summoned her will tell others how to do it."

That was exactly what Tsugumi didn't trust. Those people hadn't done the right thing then, so why should she trust them to do the right thing now? But she didn't say anything for a minute. Then she looked at her dad, "If you knew you were going to hell and you knew your time on this planet, your time with family and friends was limited... wouldn't that fill you up with bitterness and regret? Wouldn't you try and take as many people as you could with you?"

"Tsugumi," he looked at her sadly. He held his fist against his lips, then he nodded. "You're right. There are some people who are filled with too much hate, anger and pain that they can never do the right thing." He pushed the paper towards and pointed at it. "This is how we stop her. As long as there are people who will still try, who will still fight for all the right things, she won't win." He held her hand and squeezed it. "You can't save everyone. You have to accept that and let it go. You have to let her go. Okay?"

She sighed and nodded. He gave her hand another squeeze.

"Come on. I'll take you to school."

*

Tsugumi tuned out her teacher and let her mind wander in class. She thought about everything that had happened, about Ai, how she was the same age now as Ai was when she'd been killed. She thought about what her dad said. She knew her dad was right. As long as people chose not to seek Ai's help for revenge, Ai wouldn't have access to souls anymore. And maybe, just maybe she would be released.

Tsugumi decided to head to the library during her break. Once there, she read up on articles, interviews and news about bullying. She printed out copies of every relevant article she found. As soon as she got home, she sorted out every interview and article related to the new anti-bullying initiative and the two women who started it. Their work seemed promising but she was more interested in the people involved.

There were many reports where the victims committed suicide. Tsugumi noted that the school and family knew about the bullying but were unable to do anything to help. She read interviews with parents who were so angry that they had to helplessly watch their child face these problems. They were also the ones who were most outspoken about the bullies themselves. Tsugumi put these articles aside. These were the people who sought out Ai when society failed them.

One news article caught her eye. It was a report of a man who had committed a workplace massacre and had gone on the run. He had been identified and had been missing for three days before the police had found hiding in an empty warehouse. Just as they moved in to arrest, he had vanished. Tsugumi out the article down in front of her and covered her mouth with her hands. She knew without a doubt that Ai was involved. Maybe it was a victim who had survived or the relative of one of the relatives, that didn't matter anymore, but she was sure thay had summoned Ai.

Tsugumi read the date of the article. It was dated a year ago. Her dad was wrong; people were still summoning her. Ai had found a way. She covered her face and sat there for some time, wondering what to do. She couldn't drag her dad back into this, they had barely escaped with their lives last time. But she also knew she couldn't pretend. She wanted to do something... she had to do something.

She read the articles on measures to stop bullying. Some of the experts also talked about the bully. They said it was good for authority figures to take measures to stop bullying but if ht ebully wasn't involved, if the bully didn't change, didn't accept their mistakes, didn't make amends, there wouldn't be much improvement to see in this situation.

The clock chimed and she looked at the time. Her dad would be home so she quickly gathered the printouts and put them away. Later in the night, as she stared up at the ceiling waiting for sleep, she would get an idea. She would start a club where everyone -- the victims of bullying, their family and friends, the bullies and their family and friends -- could give and ask for forgiveness. If the opposite of love is indifference then the opposite of hate is understanding. Maybe, just maybe, she could get rid of hate and that would stop Ai.

*

"So how was it today?" her dad asked. Tsugumi tucked her cellphone between her ear and shoulder as she retrieved the keys from her pocket.

"The turnout was really good today. I think it's finally picking up."

"And it only took four days," her dad joked.

Tsugumi rolled her eyes but she was smiling as she locked up the club and made her way down the corridor. "Ha, ha. I'm headed home now."

"Okay. I'll try to be home early and maybe we can go out for dinner. To celebrate."

"Okay," Tsugumi said. She noticed a girl standing at the end of the corridor, watching her. "See you later, dad."

Tsugumi hung up and took a closer look at her. She looked away quickly when she recognised her.

Kumiko gave a nervous laugh as Tsugumi got closer. "I guess that means you remember me."

"Huh?" Tsugumi said, inwardly cursed herself for her "intelligent" response.

"I heard about your club. I think it's a great idea."

"Oh, thanks."

"I came here to apologise. I said some mean things to you when we were younger. You know, after the whole urban legend thing..."

Tsugumi nodded quickly to stop Kumiko from finishing that sentence.

Kumiko nodded too, "I'm sorry."

Tsugumi fussed with the strap of her bag. "Thank you." Neither said anything after that and they stood awkwardly in the corridor, nervously watching each other.

Tsugumi cleared her throat, "I guess I should go."

"Wait," Kumiko said, her hand out to stop Tsugumi but she dropped it. "I was wondering... about your club. Do you think... I'd like to help." She raised her hands, "I swear, this isn't some trick or anything."

Tsugumi smiled. If she was glad about one thing, it was that Kumiko wasn't the first student to join the club because they regretted their past actions. She said, "Okay."

*

Things were going well. The club was doing much better than she had hoped. School was still the same, at least the work part of it, but now Tsugumi had friends. She was surprised that Kumiko was one of them. The nightmares didn't stop. In fact, they became worse.

She was curled up under the covers one night after a particularly bad one. Ai had looked the same, unchanged despite the passage of time. But Tsugumi knew it wasn't an ordinary nightmare. Ai knew what she was doing and she didn't like it. Tsugumi wondered if she should tell her dad. She didn't want to because her dad couldn't help her. No one could. Ai was born out of hate and as long there was hate in the world, she would remain.

Tsugumi clutched her pillow. She was not going to close the club because people needed to see that things could change and when the world changed she knew that that day Ai would not have a reason to exist. But staying on this path meant that Ai would come after her. There was also the risk that nothing would change and the world would remain the same. Just like Ai, unchanged. Tsugumi closed her eyes tight and gasped, hot tears spilling out regardless. No. No, she had to believe.

*

Tsugumi was stacking up pamphlets when she heard a flutter and caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to call out, yell but couldn't speak. In the corner of the classroom was a girl with long black hair and dressed in a dark sailor school uniform. Transfixed, Tsugumi watched her leaf through a textbook. As though she knew she was being watched, she lifted her head and began to turn to face Tsugumi.

"Tsugumi!"

Tsugumi stared at Miyuki in shock. Miyuki was looking at her with concern. Tsugumi thought that maybe she had been trying to get her attention for some time.

Miyuki shook her arm and asked, "Hey, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Tsugumi looked back at the corner but there was nothing there. Tsugumi frantically glanced around the classroom but it was just her classmates around her.

"It's nothing," Tsugumi said dismissively. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

As Miyuki talked, Tsugumi fingered the cellphone in her pocket. She thought it was time she told her dad what was happening. But... he couldn't help and it would just worry him. She slipped her hand back out of her pocket.

*

Tsugumi was walking down the road to a cafe with her new friends, Miyuki and Kumiko. They were talking and laughing and Tsugumi finally felt like she belonged. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A moment later, she was standing in the middle of an empty street. Miyuki and Kumiko were nowhere to be seen and when she looked closely there wasn't even a single pedestrian around. She nervously looked around. Well, the sun was setting, maybe people were just inside their homes. Which meant she should head home too. She started to walk down the street but startled when she looked up and noticed the broken window panes and dilapidated condition of the houses all along the street.

Tsugumi woke up with a yell in the dark. She panted as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. But soon her breathing became panicked as she realised she was on the floor in an empty room, her fingers uselessly trying to find purchase on the tatami mat. She closed her eyes. _Breathe. Just breathe_. She patted her pockets, relieved her cellphone was still inside. She pulled it out and looked down at the dark screen. She unlocked it and let out a sob when the screen lit up. She called her dad, willing him to pick it up.

"Hey, Tsugumi, what's up?"

"Dad," she said and started crying.

"Tsugumi, what's wrong?"

"I don't know where I am." she said haltingly.

"What-what do you mean? Did you leave school?"

"No, I-- I don't remember."

"Okay. Tsugumi, I want you to look around and tell me what do you see."

She glanced around. "I'm inside. I'm sitting on the floor, on a tatami mat. There's window without curtains but it's too dark to see--"

She heard her dad inhale. He said, "Tsugumi, it's three o'clock in the afternoon."

She closed her eyes and let out a sob. "It's Ai," she whispered. In a stronger voice she repeated, "Dad, it's Ai."

"Then I know where you are. I'm on my way. Tsugumi, I have to put the phone down so I can call the police, okay? Just hold on and stay where you are. I'll call you back as soon as I'm done. Okay?"

Tsugumi nodded, "Okay."

"I love you, don't be scared. I'll call you right back."

"Okay." Tsugumi clutched her cellphone. She drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them as she waited for her dad to call her back.

A memory of Kumiko and Miyuki flashed before her eyes. Kumiko stretched her arms and said, "I'm starving! Let's go to that new cafe for lunch."

"What if I told you that that was real?"

Tsugumi looked up. "Ai?" She peered into the darkness but didn't see anything. Tsugumi closed her eyes and rocked back and forth. "Please don't do this. Please. Please don't do this."

"I still have Kumiko."

Tsugumi looked up again. It was still too dark to see anything. She shook her head and said, "You're lying."

Red eyes gleamed at her in the dark. "I am willing to admit when I'm wrong. She seems determined to make amends to you. But how long do you think she will last before she chooses to save herself?"

Tsugumi curled up tighter into a ball and shook her head. "No. Please don't."

"Miyuki is determined too. Not that that will help you. You're here because she chose to save herself."

Tsugumi couldn't cover her ears as long as she was holding her phone but she refused to drop it. She covered her head with her arms. "Stop it," she yelled.

"Your father won't find. Not this time."

Tsugumi wept but she stayed right where she was. He will call, he will find her. She was beginning to feel sore but she ignored it and didn't move. She startled when light flooded the room and she looked up. There was a laptop on a table in the corner and it had switched itself on.

Tsugumi shook her head, "I know what you're trying but you can't make me. It's not midnight yet."

"Are you sure? Look at the time on your phone."

Tsugumi slowly turned the screen around. She unlocked her phone and gasped. The display read 11:59pm.

"Time doesn't have the same meaning here as it does in your world."

Tsugumi tried to call her dad, but her call kept going to voicemail. Finally she sent him a text. Next she tried to call her friends, hoping Ai had been lying to her but they didn't answer either. She flinched as the screen of the laptop turned red. The Hell site. Tsugumi turned her face away.

"You know what to do."

Tsugumi shook her head.

"Don't you want to punish Miyuki for leaving you behind? Don't forget, she betrayed Kumiko as well. Kumiko would want her death avenged."

Ai was lying, she had to be lying. Her dad will find her. But... he should have called back. Unless... Ai was preventing her dad from calling her back.

"Ai? Did you hurt my dad?" Tsugumi was met with silence. "Answer me!"

"I won't have to. As long as you do the right thing."

Tsugumi closed her eyes but fresh tears leaked out of her eyes. "Don't hurt my dad."

Could Ai keep her here? Ai couldn't kill her or drag her to hell but... If time didn't move the same way, Tsugumi could be stuck here for days and months. But Ai wouldn't wait that long. even if she was lying about her friends, she would go after her dad like she had done the last time.

"I can't. I won't. You can keep me here but I won't do it. Just don't hurt my friends and don't hurt my dad. Please. Please..."

*

Tsugumi woke up with her head aching. There was dim light streaming in through the window. It was an empty room with a table in the corner. She heard a man's voice yelling frantically outside. It was her dad! Tsugumi got up quickly and ran outside. Her dad's car was parked haphazardly in front of the house but he didn't seem to care as he ran towards her.

"Tsugumi! Thank god you're okay," her dad pulled her into his arms and she hugged him back just as tight. Tsugumi looked over his shoulder and saw spider lilies in a distant field.


End file.
